Press Photos/Emily ZoladzAbdoulaye Ndiaye, of Lansing, holds an American flag to his chest during the Wednesday morning naturalization ceremony at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Ndiaye is originally from West Africa.

That was enough for Guerra, then a 15-year-old high school student, to dream of freedom, opportunity and equality. Despite her mother's support for communism, Guerra was determined to change her family's mind and head for America to achieve her goals.

"This was my dream," Guerra said Wednesday, more than a decade later, as she clutched a small American flag. "The political model here made me want to come. There's no freedom in Cuba. That's why I love this country."

Guerra achieved that goal when she became a U.S. citizen with more than 80 others at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. After U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney administered the oath, he recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the gavel sounded, meaning Guerra officially was an American citizen. Over a two-day period, more than 200 people were naturalized.

Even with a slumping economy, rising fuel and food costs and a war, nothing could change Guerra's mind about becoming a citizen.

"It doesn't matter, when you want something so bad, you adjust," she said. "It's not going to change nothing. Since I moved here, I've been working hard. I think becoming a citizen makes me stronger to help this country."

"Thank God he used to talk about it," Guerra said. "They (the government) took a lot of land from him. My mom didn't have nothing to lose. She was happy as a communist."

In 2001, Guerra made it to the U.S., living and working in Kentwood. Her success transformed her mother, too, as she no longer supports communism. Guerra is in the process of bringing her mother to America.

"I changed my mom's mind. She said I was right (about democracy)," Guerra said. "Now she's not a part of that communism anymore, because of me. I changed the whole family, and we're happier for it."

For Nicaragua native Lissette Mira-Amaya, becoming an American citizen also was political. Mira-Amaya came over in 1973 to study psychology and ended up in Kalamazoo at Western Michigan University.

Now the 53-year-old wants to participate in the upcoming presidential election, and becoming a citizen was a way to have her voice heard, she said.

"Everyone has the responsibility to participate in the process, and I wasn't a part of it," Mira-Amaya said. "Different voices need to be heard, even if your voice isn't the one that wins, your voice needs to be shared. It really allows me to be a full participant in the life of my community."